A storage area network (SAN) typically interconnects many mass storage devices, commonly known as storage arrays, with a set of users for providing data storage and retrieval services to the user community. The storage area network interconnects a plurality of nodes including host computers, storage arrays, connectivity devices, and databases for providing the information retrieval services to the users. The host computers execute software entities known as agents for monitoring and managing the various nodes in the storage area network. In a large storage area network, the number of nodes may be substantial. Accordingly, users typically find it beneficial to operate a management application for monitoring and controlling the various nodes in the storage area network.
Conventional software systems typically operate in the context of a server operable to execute the management application. Often, the management application is a distributed application including many interoperating components. In a typical storage area network, the management application is in communication with a plurality of agents, each coupled to one or more manageable entities, such as storage array devices, hosts and agents in the storage area network.
Conventional management applications deploy agents on host computers (hosts) in the storage area network for effecting management and control operations. A variety of different types of agents are available for deployment, and each type generally monitors and manages a particular type of node, or manageable entity in the storage area network. The deployed agents monitor, control and manage various storage area network devices for providing command and control capability from a user console via a server coupled to the console. In an exemplary configuration, the SAN management application may be the EMC Control Center (ECC) application, marketed commercially by EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Mass.